Enough entertainment...let's talk about rice cookers!

[taxbuster]

I'm looking for comments from rice cooker fans....and, wow, is it ever hard to:
(a) find an actual model to look at
(b) find actual unbiased (or paid-for) reviews
(c) get real-world comments as to performance, value and "is it worth it"

So: we are looking for a rice cooker - no, I don't want an Instant Pot, we have no use for it - but a rice cooker? We eat rice twice or more per week and my wife chronically either over- or undercooks it. Brown or white, doesn't matter. (For the record, I'm a gas stovetop rice-cooker and it's always great, but it does take minding.)

As an aging couple, we don't need big volumes, so a 3-cup (raw) cooker would be fine...unless a 5+ cup one actually *works* better. Faster is possibly better, but it's not a determinant...we're retired, we have time to cook. I'm more interested in getting great automatic rice for a reasonable price. Prefer non-plastic cooking parts as well...so non-stick metal interior seems most likely. I don't mind paying...if it actually IS good at what it does.

I've looked at what reviews suggest are the best two, from a "brand" perspective: Zojirushi and Tiger, but there's a zillion models of each. I don't care so much about brand as about performance. And a "simple" cooker is fine..it doesn't need to be the fancy-schmancy ones either.

So...CPers....what can you tell me from your experiences?

[Scornfire]

I have alot of friends with rice cookers, never been impressed enough with them to bother getting one myself, I can't say that any one brand or model puts out a notably better end product than the other. Pretty much anything on the market should suffice and give you a consistent result. I'd probably just look for one that will fit in aesthetically and meets your basic requirements in terms of metal parts.

[keratosis]

I just use my instapot if I need to make more than two servings.
Also we are cooking more quinoa than rice nowadays because we find the flavour fuller.

[Nammer403]

C u c koo rice cooker… Costco sells 6 cup one and that’s a perfect size
Has a reheat feature which is nice too and moisture doesn’t stay in the rice cooker when unplugged with lid fully closed
The odd time it does go on sale
I’d past the link but CP doesn’t like the name…hence the spacing out beginning of my post

[nik-]

https://www.zojirushi.com/app/product/nlgac

I bought this one. It's pretty sweet. Does a lot of styles of rice, makes it pretty damn good. I haven't quite dialed in the sticky rice setting, but overall it's idiot proof. It also plays a little song when you start it, which, if I'm being honest, is the reason I bought it.

[Jacks]

I bought a cheap $30 Black and Decker one a few years ago. It is pretty plain but has a metal non stick cooking interior. At first I had bad results because I was messing with it, adding seasoning or stirring it during the cycle. When I actually just left it alone it makes pretty much perfect rice every time, never timed it but probably takes around 15min. Came with a plastic steamer insert too which is nice.

[GGG]

Are you saying you don’t just follow the boiler water, add rice, turn off element and let sit for 40 minutes or so easiest rice cooking technique? Why would one get a device to do that for you?

[Reggie Dunlop]

I've had this model Panasonic for ages. Perfect rice every time. Great for steel cut oatmeal as well.

[InglewoodFan]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I've had this model Panasonic for ages. Perfect rice every time. Great for steel cut oatmeal as well.

Agree that this is a nice feature. Our Zojirushi does overnight steel cut oats. Just set it up before bed and wake up to tasty oats. All in all, we have gotten a solid decade out of a Zojirushi and I have no complaints. I suck at making stove top rice, especially brown rice. This just makes it easier.

Sent from my IN2025 using Tapatalk

[photon]

I've got a Zojirushi as well, perfect rice every time. Just look for the little elephant logo.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Jacks

I bought a cheap $30 Black and Decker one a few years ago. It is pretty plain but has a metal non stick cooking interior. At first I had bad results because I was messing with it, adding seasoning or stirring it during the cycle. When I actually just left it alone it makes pretty much perfect rice every time, never timed it but probably takes around 15min. Came with a plastic steamer insert too which is nice.

I also have one of these. Basic, easy to use, and cooks rice. It does everything I need.

[bc-chris]

we've had a rival rice cooker forever


it works fine - dump in rice, dump in water, turn it on and in 15-20 minutes rice is ready

i think it's this one (sure looks like it.... and the manual having a copyright of 2003 sounds about right)
https://www.manuals.ca/rival/rcs200/manual

Originally Posted by Jacks

I bought a cheap $30 Black and Decker one a few years ago. It is pretty plain but has a metal non stick cooking interior. At first I had bad results because I was messing with it, adding seasoning or stirring it during the cycle. When I actually just left it alone it makes pretty much perfect rice every time, never timed it but probably takes around 15min. Came with a plastic steamer insert too which is nice.

i learned the same lesson as Jacks - just leave it alone and let it cook!

[photon]

Brown rice takes a lot longer but it still does it perfectly.

[malcolmk14]

Zojirushi has the best rice cookers. I think we bought this one in 2014 for $177: https://www.amazon.ca/Zojirushi-NS-T.../dp/B0074CDG6C

Worth every penny. I'd say the only downside is the clock battery can't be replaced so once it dies, that's it - you don't have a clock anymore on it to time your rice for a specific time.

[Boblobla]

We love our rice cooker. No comments on the brand but use chicken or veggie broth when cooking and a bit of oil.

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[activeStick]

100% Zojirushi.

[calumniate]

have a $20 rice cooker.. works perfect. The science is in your water ratios, rinse vs not rinse, and if you're feeling crazy add some butter

[fotze2]

My wife won't let me get a rice cooker, I'm jealous. Growing up would spend days at my filipino buddy. His parents kept the most bizarre hours. Its 2 am, time for a feast of chicken or menudo or lumpia. That rice was so good and I could never replicate it in my lame whitey pot. Mama sita sauce!

[nik-]

It's a rice cooker, not a mistress. Just ####ing buy one.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by fotze2

My wife won't let me get a rice cooker, I'm jealous. Growing up would spend days at my filipino buddy. His parents kept the most bizarre hours. Its 2 am, time for a feast of chicken or menudo or lumpia. That rice was so good and I could never replicate it in my lame whitey pot. Mama sita sauce!

That's so odd to me lol. It's like if your wife wouldn't let you buy a toaster even though you want to make toast. A cheap one at Cantire is like $30.